Adrian Ferrazzutti doesn't take credit for the fairy doors that are springing up around Guelph's these days, but he doesn't mind adding to the narrative.
The Guelph woodworker is working on his third batch of fairy doors — small wooden doors that pop up attached to the base of random trees, usually along a walking path - which he will put at an undisclosed location.
Finding them is half the fun.
"They're just small and cute and when you see them it just puts a smile upon your face," Ferrazzutti said.
"Just making them is a lot of fun. I build furniture that takes up to six months to build one thing, so it's a nice release from that, to whip out five little things in an hour," he said. "I made one, then I was totally hooked after that. It's just too much fun.
Fairy doors are not a Guelph phenomenon. They've been around for years and pop up in cities all over the world.
But lately they've been showing up all over Guelph. There's several along the river trail between Goldie Mill Park and Speedvale Avenue, more along the river trail between Victoria Road and Gordon Street and at least five in Exhibition Park near the children's playground.
"I was walking on the path one day and saw a couple find one of the doors. They just started giggling and laughing and they were, like, 65 years old," Ferrazzutti said.
He first saw them when he was staying in Maine.
Locally he discovered fairy doors for the first time while out for a walk with his dog. He later found out a local children's camp had made them and put them on trees.
"I just thought they were whimsical. It totally put a smile on my face," Ferrazzutti said.
So far he and his teenaged children have made 12 of them. More are in the works.
Ferrazzutti has also taken fairy doors to the next level, creating little pieces of furniture to go inside the doors found at the base of trees.
"I just thought it would be a nice surprise for the kids if when they open the doors they saw something else in there," he said.
On a recent hunt in Exhibition Park for some of Ferrazzutti's work, Sarah Endicott stopped to ask if a photographer was looking for fairy doors.
"I think they're just a wonderful idea," she said. "The kids just love searching for them when we're out for a walk. It's just a really nice thing for people to do."
Facebook and Twitter comments support Endicott's sentiments.
Social media is full of positive comments.
"I love love love my neighbourhood!!" posted Kathryn Plumstead. "So awesome and that people make magical fairy doors and welcome wreaths on our local river trail!!"
"We came across one of these and man it made us light up. So great," said Tracy Enns.
"Super fun for the kids!" said Jennifer Hummzinger-Handley.
